The Folger Theatre is presenting a straightforward and engaging production of William Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV. Paul Mason Barnes, making his Washington directing debut, has assembled an accomplished cast with three strong anchors: Delaney Williams, a spirited and appealing Sir John Falstaff; Rick Foucheux, a grave and intense King Henry IV; and Tom Story as Prince Hal, torn between the extremes of hedonism and duty.

The audience senses the unsettled nature of the English court before a single actor appears, thanks to Tony Cisek's scenic design: burnished metallic walls stand at vertiginous angles and a tapestry map of England hangs on the back wall. Cisek cleverly echoes the existing architectural features of the theater with a fallen column that resembles the two permanent pillars on the stage.

Shakespeare's play covers a period of political intrigue in medieval England. Henry IV gained the throne after deposing his cousin, Richard II, and now he faces a challenge from young Henry Percy, or Hotspur (David Graham Jones). The king worries thatunlike the warlike and disciplined Hotspurhis own son, Prince Hal, would rather carouse with the charming but corrupt Falstaff than take his place as a leader.

With his golden hair and clean-shaven face, Story retains a youthful look even when he's robbing travelers and drinking heavily in a seedy tavern. He seems almost beatific compared with his scruffy friend Ned Poins (Matthew R. Wilson) and pockmarked Lieutenant Bardolph (Steve Beall), not to mention the eternally unkempt Falstaff. Williams plays the self-described "fat knight" with a winning awareness of his faults and a lack of flash for its own sake, a fine counterbalance to the more serious performance of Foucheux.